Few contemporary filmmakers capture the bizarre rhythms, digital anxieties, and quiet melancholies of modern life quite like Thailand’s auteur of the everyday, "Ter" Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit. Known globally for his playful style and deeply human narratives from Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy to Happy Old Year - Nawapol has spent over a decade chronicling the quirks and heavy emotional baggage of the internet generation.
Last month (September 2025), the director and team traveled to South Korea for the Busan International Film Festival, where his latest feature film Human Resource (พนักงานใหม่ (โปรดรับไว้พิจารณา), screened to audiences as part of the Window on Asian Cinema selection.
Moving away from some of his earlier experimental works, Human Resource marks a brilliant, more restrained shift in his filmography. Set against the punishing backdrop of corporate Bangkok, the film zeroes in on a pregnant woman navigating a cutthroat office landscape, exploring dark themes of exploitation and modern workplace alienation.
We sat down with "Ter" Nawapol amidst the coastal buzz of BIFF to talk about how traffic and corporate culture fuel his creativity, the visual choice behind the film and why the emotional expression have become a vital part of his storytelling.
INSTYLEASIA: Welcome back to Busan, Khun "Ter" Nawapol! This marks your second time premiering a film at the Busan International Film Festival - the very place where you won the grand prize 13 years ago. How does it feel to be back this time?
Nawapol: The Busan International Film Festival was the very first festival I attended when I started making films, and winning an award back then left us with so many wonderful memories. I have returned to Busan a few times over the years, but this visit is special.
After premiering the film at the Venice Film Festival and connecting with European viewers, we are thrilled to host our Asian premiere here in Busan. This festival attracts a massive crowd, and our film content is also deeply rooted in Asian culture. I am really looking forward to seeing how Asian audiences respond to the film. Coming straight from our previous festival run, we are excited to experience the reaction of a whole new group of the viewers in Busan.
INSTYLEASIA: Please share with us your ideas about casting the main characters?
Nawapol: During the casting process, we searched nationwide for all types of actors in Thailand. However, when we selected Praphamonton Iamchan (Oeng Oei) and Paopetch Charoensook (Petch), it was because we wanted actors who look like ordinary people you would encounter in real life, such as an office colleague or anyone you might cross paths with daily. These two actors possess the specific qualities and aura that bridge the gap between a performer's screen presence and the relatable image of an everyday person. Ultimately, we felt that both of them were the perfect fit for our film.
INSTYLEASIA: This may not directly relate to the film, but could you please share your three favorite things about South Korea?
Nawapol: First is the film festival culture. When we begin working on a new project, the Busan International Film Festival is always the major event that filmmakers aiming for an Asian premiere think of and want to join. As a filmmaker, I feel a deep personal connection to this festival.
Second is fashion. Korea’s fashion scene is incredibly diverse and possesses a highly unique style. In some ways, Korean and Thai aesthetics share similarities, which allows for a lot of cultural exchange, especially through fashion.
Third is music, which I definitely feel a strong connection to. Beyond K-pop, the Korean music scene offers so many different genres and is constantly evolving. Every time I explore Korean music, I always discover a wide variety of styles to dive into.
INSTYLEASIA: Which scenes in this film did you like the most?
Nawapol: For me, this film isn't broken down into individual scenes; it feels more like a single, cohesive cluster. It represents a continuous chapter of the characters' lives, captured as a part of their personal history. If it were one of my previous films, I could easily point out which specific scenes I liked or disliked. However, because this movie functions as one unified piece, I honestly love the whole thing.
INSTYLEASIA: What was the biggest challenge you faced while making Human Resource, and how did you manage to overcome it?
Nawapol: This film doesn't have a conventional plot; instead, it focuses heavily on the characters' inner emotions. Expressing emotions on screen can be highly abstract. If a film relies on a standard plot, we can easily evaluate during production whether each scene aligns with the narrative structure.
But when a movie centers around feelings, which are abstract, we can never be entirely certain if the scene we shot will convey the exact same emotion to the audience that I felt while filming it. Is it enough? Or did I overdo it and end up dictating how the audience should feel? Ultimately, finding that balance became a matter of constant fine-tuning in the editing room - always asking ourselves: is it enough, too much, or too little?
INSTYLEASIA: Now that you are internationally recognized as a film director, what is your next dream?
Nawapol: To be honest, I don't really know how many people actually know who I am. Setting that aside, it would be wonderful if I could take on more international projects in the future. It doesn't necessarily have to be Hollywood; collaborating with teams in South Korea or Japan would also be an incredibly fun experience. Whenever I bring my work to showcase abroad, if it managed to resonate with someone and led to an opportunity for us to work together, that would be amazing.
INSTYLEASIA: What is your favorite film or series that you have particularly enjoyed recently?
Nawapol: I recently watched a series called The Studio (Apple TV+). It’s about the behind-the-scenes chaos of Hollywood filmmaking. What makes it so compelling is that the director is also an actor who drew from his own decades of industry experience to create the show. Because of this, it offers a genuine insider's perspective.
Since it’s a comedy, it manages to deliver deep, underlying truths about the film business wrapped in jokes - even though much of it feels like it could be a true story. It serves as a sharp revelation of what goes on backstage in Hollywood, making it far more entertaining than other shows.
INSTYLEASIA: Do you have a favorite director?
Nawapol: Someone who comes to mind, whom I feel like I've grown up alongside in this industry, is "Joe" Apichatpong. His approach to filmmaking is completely different from mine, but his work taught me a very important mindset: that a movie can be so much more than just telling a story.
INSTYLEASIA: What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from working as a film director?
Nawapol: Throughout my experience directing and editing, the biggest lesson has been learning to truly understand people who think differently from me. For instance, when writing a script, if you don't understand others, the characters you create will just end up being reflections of yourself, all sharing your own personality.
On set, filmmaking is about collaborating with a massive team. To make everything run smoothly, you must understand what the actors and crew members really need, even if their perspectives are completely different from yours. Ultimately, directing has taught me to empathize with and learn from people who are different from me. That is the greatest lesson I’ve gained from this profession.
INSTYLEASIA: Aside from filmmaking, are there any other projects you’ve been thinking about doing recently?
Nawapol: I really want to get back into writing books. Before I became a film director, I was an author. I realized that over the past three to five years, I haven't written a single book. While I do write a lot of posts on Facebook just for fun, proper book writing is something I haven't done in a while. It’s actually a medium I truly love because it’s deeply individual—you don't have to coordinate with anyone else. You can just write a book completely on your own, so I’d love to return to being an author again.
INSTYLEASIA: If you could take a time machine back to your childhood, what advice would you give your younger self?
Nawapol: Just do what you think is right. I wouldn’t want to change anything—no way. I might not think the exact same way I did when I was a kid, but everything I’ve learned while growing up has brought me to a good place, and I am truly satisfied with where I am today. So, don’t change a thing. If I were to alter the past, it might lead me into another multiverse and turn my life into a worse version. I’d rather just keep everything exactly as it is today.
INSTYLEASIA: Could you please tell us about your upcoming projects?
Nawapol: I don't have any projects lined up at the moment. We just finished this film, and after its release, I plan to take a short break before diving into something new. Moving forward, I might do another movie or even a TV series; I don't want to limit myself to just one platform.
INSTYLEASIA: If you could collaborate with international talent, are there any specific actors, filmmakers or countries you have in mind?
Nawapol: To put it simply, I would love to collaborate with actors from South Korea or Japan. Having followed their work for a very long time, I think it would be an incredible experience to direct them.
As a film director, it is a personal dream of mine to have the opportunity to direct these actors at least once in my career.
INSTYLEASIA: How would you define your films and your identity? What makes your work different from others?
Nawapol: With every film I make, I like to present a question for the audience to ponder long after the credits roll. There might not be a single, definitive answer, but it’s the kind of question that stays with viewers and makes them keep thinking at home. It might not be pure entertainment in the traditional sense, but it raises questions that we rarely ask ourselves in our daily lives, using cinema as a tool for reflection.
For me, thinking and questioning is a form of entertainment. Engaging with a question you've never considered before can help you discover answers to unresolved problems, spark new ideas, and offer fresh perspectives on things you find interesting.
(Interviewer: Teerapat)
30th Busan International Film Festival
REPORT: INSTYLEASIA
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